Display and advertising sign



- Aug. 4, 1942. F WIRTZ 2,292,311

DISPLAY AND ADVERTISING SIGN Filed Jan. 21, 1941 INVENTOR. FRED WIRTZ ATTORNEY Patented Aug. 4, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Application January 21, 1941, Serial No. 375,189

4 Claims.

This invention relates to a certain new and useful improvement in display and advertising signs and the like and to the method of making the same.

My invention has for its primary object the provision of a display or advertising sign and the like having a screen-mesh body rendered smoothsurfaced by the incorporation therein of a plastic filling material and paint-coated for, as a base or foundation, receiving various types of printing processes for display purposes.

My invention has for a further object the provision of a sign-foundation of the type mentioned which is tough and flexible so as to withstand the rigorous conditions of usage imposed on such structures, which is economical in cost of materials and production, which is long Wearing and durable, and which is highly efi'icient in the performance of its stated functions.

My invention has for another object the provision of a simple, direct, economical method that may be inexpensively and easily practiced and employed in the production of attractive, durable,

and smooth signs and the like having a screenmesh body.

And with the above and other objects in View, my invention resides in the novel features of form, construction, arrangement, and combination of the sign and in the method of production thereof, all as presently described and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawing- Figure 1 is a diagrammatic perspective view of a body section of screen-mesh material prepared in accordance with the initial step of my method of sign production;

Figure 2 is a transverse sectional view of the initially prepared screen-mesh body section taken approximately along the line 2-2, Figur 1;

Figure 3 is a perspective View of a first screening frame for co-operation with the screen-mesh body in sign-production in accordance with my invention;

Figure 4 is a transverse sectional view illustrating the primary screening frame and the initially prepared screen-mesh body in operative signforming relation;

Figure 5 is a perspective View of the screenmesh body section in an intermediate stage of sign-production;

Figure 6 is an enlarged fragmentary transverse sectional view of the screen-mesh body section taken approximately along the line B-6, Figure 5;

Figure '7 is a perspective View of a secondary screening frame co-operable with the screenmesh body section in sign-production according to my invention;

Figure 8 is a perspective view of a finished screen-mesh body advertising or display sign of my invention; and

Figure 9 is an enlarged fragmentary transverse sectional view of the finished sign taken approximately along the line 99, Figure 8.

Referring now in more detail and by reference characters to the drawing, which illustrates the successive steps in the production of an advertising sign or the like according to my invention, A designates a section of ordinary usually flexible or bendable screen-mesh wire of similar material cut to any desired perimetral contour or size.

In that portion or area, generally the central portion or area, of the screen-mesh body section A in which the finished sign E is to be displayed, one face, for present purposes designated the under face, a, is covered with a removable .sheet of material I formed preferably of adhesive coated masking paper or the like, as best seen in Figures 1 and 2.

Meanwhile a primary screening member B is provided comprisinga peripheral frame 2 formed of wood or any other suitable material. Marginally fixed in, and extending across, the'frame 2 preferably in the plane of one face thereof, is a screen 3 formed of relatively small gauge wire mesh and suitably masked both on its upper and lower surfaces with so-called masking mats 4, 5, which cover every portion of the screen 3 except an open area b corresponding in peripheral form and contour to the desired peripheral form and contour of the particular finished sign E which is to be displayed on the mesh section A.

The so-equipped screen section A is then placed fiatwise upon a suitable table or other support with the mask sheet I down and the primary screening frame B superimposed upon the screensection A with the unmasked area b more or less centrally over and within the confines of the area covered by the mask sheet I, substantially as shown in Figure 4. A suitable quantity of plastic base material is then applied upon the open area b of the masking frame B and forced therethrough and into the interstices or meshes of the screen body section A by means of a conventional squeegee C, as also shown in Figure 4.

Such plastic base material is preferably, I might state, formed by grinding pigments of the desired color in a vehicle composed of alkyd resin, suitable thinners, and drying oils having the consistency of a heavy thick paint.

After the plastic material has been squeegeed through the primary screening-frame B and incorporated into the screen A, the frame B is removed. The screen-section A, which will thus have substantially embedded or incorporated therein a body of plastic material a conforming in peripheral form and contour to the frame-area b and hence also to the desired outline of the finished sign E, should now be allowed to stand to thoroughly dry, and it may be stated that such drying period may vary according to selected atmospheric or temperature conditions.

In any event, when the base foundation a is thoroughly dry, the mask sheet I is removed, and it may be noted in this connection that the base foundation a is substantially flush on and with both faces of the screen A, the interstices thereof being completely or solidly filled, as best seen in Figure 6.

Meanwhile, a secondary screen frame D is prepared comprising a frame section 6 provided with a screen 1 formed of suitable process silk and masked in any conventional manner to provide an open area (2 of the same peripheral form and contour as the open area b of the primary screening frame B, all as best seen in Figure '7.

When the base foundation a of the screenmesh section A is thoroughly dry, the secondary screening frame D is superimposed thereupon, with the open section d in precise registration with the base foundation a, and a. surface coating of plastic material conventionally squeegeed therethrough. This surface material is substantially more fluid than the plastic material employed in the formation of the base foundation a. and may be any so-called standard outside paint for protecting the foundation a against weather conditions.

Preferably such surfacing material is of a white color, although it will be evident that surfaces of any other desired color may be provided by employing pigments of the selected color or colors.

The secondary screen D is then removed, and the coated base foundation a allowed to dry. Thereupon, the screen section A is turned over, and the other face of the base foundation a is likewise coated and dried, resulting in a screenmesh sign base consisting of the base foundation a and oppositely presented intimately bonded surface layers or coatings s, which fill all the irregularities in the surfaces of the base foundation a, as shown in Figure 9, and present upon the screen A extremely smooth uniform outer surfaces upon which any suitable advertising, lettering, symbols, indicia, or design 6 may be imprinted by screen-processing or any other conventional methodv Thus simply, economically, and expeditiously I am enabled to display on one or both of the faces of the screen A advertising signs or the like E, as shown in Figure 8, which are smooth, even, and attractively durable.

It should be understood that changes and modifications in the form, construction, arrangement, and combination of the several parts of the finished sign E and in the steps of its production may be made and substituted for those herein shown and described without departing from the nature and principle of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. That method of making an advertising sign or the like which comprises placing an adherent backing sheet upon one face of a body-section of open mesh material, masking the other face of the open mesh material with a stencil, forcing a plastic base-foundation material through the stencil into the interstices of a selected portion of the masked area, permitting the plastic material to dry and removing the backing sheet, and then paint-coating a face of the plastic filled body-section to provide an outwardly presented smooth printing surface.

2. That method of making an advertising sign or the like which comprises placing an adherent backing sheet upon one face of a body-section of open mesh material, masking the other face of the open mesh material with a stencil, forcing a plastic base-foundation material through the stencil into the interstices of a selected portion of the masked area, permitting the plastic material to dry and removing the backing sheet, and then paint-coating the outer faces of the plastic filled body-section in the provision of oppositely presented smooth printing surfaces.

3. That method of making an advertising sign or the like which comprises placing an adherent sheet upon one face of a body-section of open mesh material, superimposing a process-screen over the other face of the mesh material and in superimposed relation to the backing sheet, squeegeeing a plastic mass through a selected portion of the process-screen and into the interstices of the mesh material to form a base-foundation in the meshes thereof, drying the basefoundation, removing the backing sheet, and coating a face of the foundation with a layer of surfacing material in the provision of a, smooth printing surface.

4. That method of making an advertising sign or the like which comprises placing an adherent sheet upon one face of a body-section of open mesh material, superimposing a process-screen over the other face of the mesh material and in superimposed relation to the backing sheet, squeegeeing a plastic mass through av selected portion of the process-screen and into the interstices of the mesh material to form a basefoundation in the meshes thereof, drying the base-foundation, removing the backing sheet, and then paint-coating the opposite faces of the foundation with layers of surfacing material for providing oppositely presented smooth printing surfaces.

FRED WIRTZ. 

